Fire extinguishing system device



- A. MATHlsEN FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYS TEM DEVICE Filed Jun 2s, -194i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v my 12, I942.

A. MATHISEN- FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM DEVICE Filed June 28-, "1941 2 Sheets-Shee 2 M K W -llill 1 x W Y 6, ZA//////A///////////// lrvlarn mm ww E N ME SEE om. mm 2 Patented May 12, 1942 UNITED STATE FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM DEVlCE Anders Mathisen, Osterley, Isleworth, England, assignor to Graviner Manufacturing Company Limited, Osterley, Islcworth, Middlesex, England Application June 28, 1941, Serial No. 400,300 In Great Britain April 22, 1940 8 Claims.

This invention has for its object the improvement in fire extinguishing system devices more particularly for use upon aircraft.

Fluid containers such as fire extinguishers for example of the character shown in Figure 1 of United States Patent No. 2,143,132 are some- In the installation of fire extinguishing equip' ment of the kind disclosed in the above mentioned patent particularly upon aircraft there is sometimes difficulty in finding space for the extinguishers in positions where they are accessible to the personnel for slow discharge or hand use, and it has been proposed to mount the extinguisherout of reach of members of the personnel. It is an object of the invention to pro-' vide a nozzle device in the discharge conduit in such systems, said device being detachable for spraying fire extinguishing fluid upon a fire which might occur at a particular point in an aircraft, such as in the pilots or gunner's compartment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a nozzle device in fire extinguishing fluid conduits which nozzle device is adapted to permit a high rate of fluid discharge when attached to a coacting socket device and is further adapted to restrict the rate of discharge from the fluid supply when the nozzle device is detached from its co-acting socket so as to spray the fire extinguishing fluid jet upon a fire in the personnel compartment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a valve device in said nozzle which is adapted to be displaced when the nozzle is inserted in its co-acting socket so as to permit a high rate of fluid discharge through the nozzle. Said valve being furthermore adapted to be displaced when the nozzle is detached from its co-acting socket so as to move on to a valve seating or like arrangement'to restrict its rate of discharge from the nozzle to a suitably low rate of discharge.

A still further object of the invention is to provide said socket device with an abutment or like device being so constructed that when the valve is displaced in this manner the sectional area of the conduit through the nozzle and socket device is substantially equal to the area of the internal diameter of the discharge conduit from the fluid supply container.

When using fire extinguishers containing liquids or fluids which may affect the personnel ow-. ing to their toxicity it is highly desirable to limit the, discharge of fluid from suchfire extinguisher to the absolute minimum required for extinguishing a fire and according to one object of the invention an auxiliary socket device is provided for the nozzle which device has a' jettsoning conduit attached thereto so that by inserting the nozzle device in said auxiliary socket after a fire has been extinguished the excess amount of fire extinguishing fluid can be discharged outside the personnel compartment,

thereby reducing the risk of personnel being affected by the toxic fumes generated by the said fire extinguishing fluids.

Various means may be adopted for detachably securing said nozzle and socket device together arrangement which effects displacement of the f valve in the nozzle when the nozzleis inserted in its co acting socket, the valve and nozzle but preferably a bayonet type of pin and socket joint is employed for this purpose as rapidity of detachment is necessary, more especially when fire extinguishing systems of the kind described above are used upon aircraft.

Various additional objects and features of the invention will be more fully described with reference tn the accomo nying drawings which show oneembodiment of the invention by way'of example. Similar reference numerals relate to like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Figure 1 shows anaircraft in partial sectional elevation. v

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the nozzle and socket shown in the secured together position.

Figure 3 is a partial sectional elevation of the nozzle shown detached from the socket. v

Figure 4 is a partial sectional elevation of the socket. I

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing a modified form of socket.

Referring to Figure 1 inthe drawings, numeral 2 denotes the fuselage of an aircraft and 3 the engine thereof. A fluid conduit type of. fitting 4 is secured in the fireproof bulkhead of the aircraft and is connected by the conduit H to the socket device 5. into which the nozzle 5 is secured. An auxiliary socket 5a is provided with r a jettisoning pipe or conduit 5b said pipe extendfuselage of the aircraft.

A fire extinguishing fluid supply container is connected to a conduit 8 extending therefrom to a connector fitting 9 secured in the aircraft compartment. This fitting 9 is connected to a flexible conduit ID the other end of which is connected to the nozzle which flexible conduit portion permits detachment and re-insertion of the nozzle 6 into the socket 5. A conduit portion ll extends from the socket 5 to the fitting 4 and a known type of perforated fire extinguishing fluid distributing piping l3 extends from this fitting over the engine 3. I

Referring now to Figures 2, 3 and 4, the nozzle device comprises a barrel portion l4 screwed into a nozzle sleeve 85, said nozzle sleeve having a bore l5 and a discharge orifice II. The nozzle sleeve is provided with a valve device l8 which is provided with grooves IS.

The valve I8 is furthermore provided with a machined valve type of seating 20, adapted to coact with a correspondingly shaped valve seating 2| formed adjacent the discharge orifice l] of the nozzle sleeve I5.

The socket 5 is provided with a spider-shaped fitting 22 which is forced into the tapered bore of the socket 5 so as to become firmly fixed in the position shown in Figure 21. The spider 22 is provided with a stem 23 adapted to project through orifice ll of the nozzle sleeve l5 and to contact valve l8 and push this away from the valve seating 2| in nozzle sleeve I5, whenthe nozzle is secured to socket 5 as shown in Figure 2. From the design of the device the sectional area of the discharge conduit 8 will be known and the sectional area of the passages through grooves 19 and through the unobstructed portion of orifice l1 and other parts of the device must not be less than this area, so that full bore discharge of fluid can be obtained through the device. Referring to Figures 3 and 4, as will be seen socket 5 is provided with bayonet type of joint slots 24 with which pins 25 on the nozzle sleeve l5 are adapted to engage in such a manner that the similarly tapered surfaces 25a of socket 5 and 25 of nozzle sleeve l5 are forced into substantially fluid-tight contact.

Upon detachment of nozzle sleeve l5 from the socket 5 valve I8 is free to move toward the discharge orifice IT of the nozzle sleeve as soon as liquid pressure is applied from the supply source I. As a result of contact between the valve-seatings 20 and 2| liquid discharge through grooves I! will be preventeirbut valve I8 is provided with a. slow rate discharge orifice 21 through which liquid can be discharged while the nozzle is held in the hand by an operator, the jet being then played upon a fire, for example, in a personnel compartment to extinguish the same.

Referring now to Figure 5 the socket comprises two parts 55 and 56 which are screwthreaded so as to be detachable at 51. A cavity 58 is formed in the part 55 into which a leather, rubber orother resilient material ring 59 is adapted to be secured and firmly clamped so as to project into fluid-tight contact with the end of the nozzle sleeve l5. .Theiprovision of such resilient material fluid leakage reducing device obviates the necessity for accurate fitting between the socket 5 and the nozzle sleeve l5.

It is an essential requirement that in the case of fires originating upon aero engines the flre extinguishing fluid to ensure extinction of firesupon whatever part of the engine they might originate. Consequently, the discharge rates through the conduits 8, l 0 and I l are of the order ofone pint of the fluid in liquid form in 2 to 3 seconds, depending to some extent upon the length of the conduit and also upon the pressure in the fluid container I.

The contents of fire extinguishing fluid container I of one known type is three pints and the discharge period is between 6 to 9 seconds, from which it will be appreciated that the discharge of the whole of the contents of such extinguishers in a personnel compartment of an aircraft would probably result in that the occupants of the compartment might be rendered unconscious thereby losing control of the aircraft. 7

The-discharge rate through orifice 21 in valve I8 is of the order of one pint of liquid in 15 to 20 seconds and if a fire occurs in a personnel compartment it is possible for an occupant to detach nozzle 5 from socket 5 and effect discharge of extinguisher 'l by means of the control device normallyprovided upon the aircraft instrument panel for the oc'cupants use;

The liquid jet would then be played upon the fire until it is extinguished, an operation which should notnormally take more than 5 to 10 seconds. Excess fire extinguishing fluid can then be discharged through auxiliary socket 5a and discharge conduit 5b outside the aircraft whereby discomfort and danger to the occupant by excess flre extinguishing fluid fumes is greatly reduced. 7

Having thus fully described my-invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a fire extinguishing fluid discharge system, a fluid supply-under pressure, a conduit from said supply to a fire risk source, means for effecting discharge of said supply, a nozzle in said conduit, a socket device to which said nozzle is adapted to be detachably secured, means associated with said socket device for permitting a high rate of fluid discharge when the nozzle is secured thereto and means associated with said nozzle device for restricting the rate of discharge therefrom when the nozzle is detached from said socket.

2. In a fire extinguishing fluid discharge system, a fluid supply under pressure, a conduit from said supply to a fire risk source, a nozzle in said conduit, a socket device to which said nozzle is adapted to be detachably secured, a valve means in said nozzle and abutment means in said socket'adapted to displace said valve means when said socket device and said nozzle are secured together to permit a high rate of fluid discharge through said nozzle.

3. In a fire extinguishing fluid discharge system, a fluid supply under pressure, a conduit from said supply to a flre risk source, a nozzle in said conduit, a socket to which said nozzle is adapted to be detachably secured, valve means in said nozzle, said vaivemean having a slow rate discharge orifice through which the fluid discharges when said nozzle is detached from said socket and means in said socket for unseating the valve 4. In aflre extinguishing fluid discharge sys" tem, a fl'uidsupply "under pressure, a conuw.

from said supply to a fire risk source, a nozzle in said conduit, bayonet type of pins upon said nozzle, a socket device, bayonet type of slots in said device, and liquid-tight surfaces upon said nozzle and upon said socket adaptedto be forced into liquid-tight contact when said bayonet pin and slot arrangement is forced into engagement, a valve device in said nozzle and means to increase the rate of flow through said valve device when it is inserted into said socket from the rate when it is out of said socket.

5. In a fire extinguis g fluid discharge system, a fluid supply. under pressure, means for effecting discharge of said supply, said supply to a fire risk source, a nozzle device in said conduit, a socket device and means for detachably securing said nozzle and socket device together, means for permitting a high'rate of discharge through said nozzle and socket when secured toegther, means for restricting the rate of discharge from said nozzle when detached from said socket, an auxiliary socket to which said nozzle can be detachably secured and a conduit from said auxiliary socket to discharge surplus fire extinguishing fluid externally to a personnel containing compartment.

6. In a fire extinguishing fluid discharge system for use on aircraft, a fluid supply under pressure, a conduit from said supply to a flre risk a conduit from e positioned adjacent to .tem as set forth in claim source adjacent to socket device in said conduit, a nozzle in the portion of said conduit connected to said fluid supply, said socket device being adapted to snuggly receive and detachably retain said nozzle for passing the fluid from said supply to said flre risk source, said nozzle and said socket being the operator of the aircraft so that said nozzle may be removed from said socket and fluid therefrom sprayed in other parts of the aircraft to prevent or subdue flre and a jettisoning pipe and socket for unloading fluid and fumes that may op erators compartment, said last socket being adapted to receive said nozzle.

7. In a fire extinguishing fluid discharge sys- 6 further comprising means in said nozzle and said socket for increasing the fluid discharge rate through said nozzle when said nozzle is sec red in said socket from the rate when said noz e is out of said socket.

8. In a flre extinguishing fluid discharge system as set forth in claim 6 further comprising a valve member itioned in said nozzle, said valve member having a hole extending through the body thereof through which the said fluid discharges solely when said nozzle is out of said socket.

ANDERS MATHISEN.

the engine of the aircraft, a'

be sprayed around the 

